Ground Control
by Martinet Of The Order
Summary: Actually, this is just a LodeRunner fanfic, seeing as how there's no LodeRunner topic, I just took this false topic. It's got cussing.


Ground Control  
  
_There was a barely audible 'click' as the timer ran out. And a  
relatively more audible BOOM as the bomb went off.  
_  
**'Holy Shit!'  
**  
'What? What's wrong?'  
  
**'Nothing, I just didn't expect that to work so well.'  
**  
'Excellent, so my operator is unsure of himself as well as incompetent?'  
  
**'Another remark like that and you can navigate this by yourself.'  
**  
'I'm funny that way; c'mon the buggers are catching up, what now?'  
  
**'Er... see that edge? Run for it.'  
**  
'That cliff?'  
  
**'No Shit?'**  
  
'Moving.'  
  
**'Alright, you got a monk on your tail, dig south.'**  
  
'You sure? The bugger might dodge it.'  
  
**'The monks track by sound. Do it.'**  
  
_Adeptly, using one leg as brakes and another as momentum to spin him a  
perfect 180 degrees, he folds out his gun and fires. The ground in front of  
his barrel disintegrated, in every facet of the word. The granite crumbled  
away into dust, the stone evaporated... it just temporarily ceased to exist.  
_  
'Bugger fell for it, forgive the pun. I'm at the cliff.'  
  
**'Righto, jump.'**  
  
'What?'  
  
**'I'm sorry, is my connection breaking up? You're a Runner. Do it.'**  
  
'Bloody hell.'  
  
_He ducked and pushed of. And landed head first, into the safety wall._  
  
'Owshit ow ow ow...'  
  
**'Idiot, I said go for the edge, not the cliff. You know damn well where the  
safety walls are.'  
**  
'Oh screw you. I said I was at the cliff.'  
  
**'Oh did you? It must not've gotten through.'**  
  
'I can hear you sniggering you sneaky bastard. I'm there. I jump, right?'  
  
**'Do you see a ladder around?'**  
  
'Actually, yes.'  
  
**'Don't be a smartass, the monks are camped there. You need to jump.'**  
  
'Screw you.'  
  
**'You too, so you gonna jump?'**  
  
'Wheeeee...'  
  
_And so he falls. Somehow, he hits the ground flawlessly with his feet,  
slightly bending his legs. Krik._  
  
'Ooh, that felt good.'  
  
**'I never knew a good twenty story fall was a good thing.'**  
  
'No, I cracked a joint in my foot when I landed. It's been bothering me for  
a long time.'  
  
**'Good for you... Now, do you see the exit?'**  
  
'Yes.'  
  
**'Need I say more?'**  
  
'It's closed.'  
  
**'What?'**  
  
'I'm sorry, am I breaking up? You're an Operator, think.'  
  
**'Don't pull that mock tone with me, you must've missed one.'**  
  
'No, YOU must've missed one. You're the operator, you se- or at least, your  
'supposed' to see everything.'  
  
**'Shut up.'**  
  
'Er... Monks are coming... where to now...'  
  
**'I need to think, dance around them for abit.'**  
  
'You mean run like hell.'  
  
**'Yeah, let me think.'**  
  
'You old fart.'  
  
**'LET ME THINK.'  
**  
'They're catching up...'  
  
**'Ah. See that hand over hand bar?'  
**  
'Yeah...'  
  
**'Go.'**  
  
'But I just came from there!'  
  
**'It's a big island, dodge the bastards.'**  
  
'Should I dig?'  
  
**'No time, we just need that one piece then you can hit the exit.'  
**  
'Imma do it anyway.'  
  
**'Your skin, not mine.'**  
  
_He runs fast, almost tripping over his own feet, he's tired, clumsy. He  
begins to feel the weight of his pack. Turning around and laying empty  
traps for them piles up too much strain. He can do this, just abit more..._  
  
'I'm on the bars, I see the gold.'  
  
**'Yeah, the one piece we missed. Any monks on your tail?'  
**  
'Not yet.'  
  
_His arms scream in protest, his muscles tighten as he keeps swinging  
forward to get closer to his goal. His legs kick under him to create  
momentum._  
  
**'Come on, put one hand in front of the other. Come on!'  
**  
'Easy for you to say, now shut up and let me do this. Climbing on an  
unsuspended metal bar on top of nothing can really affect one's state of  
mind.'  
  
**'Now's not the most appropriate of times to get philosophical on my ass.  
How's it going?'  
**  
'Got it!'  
  
**'Capital, stuff it in your pack, get back on the bars and make it to the  
exits.'**  
  
_That didn't occur to him, his arms feel like rice paper now, getting on the  
bars again would kill him. He'd fall. Into the Void. People say it's not  
the fall that's scary, it's the sudden stop. Bullshit, it's the fall he  
feared most. The thought of plummeting into nothing for a lifetime... Too  
much._  
  
'I... I can't.'  
  
**'Monks are wisening up on your position, if you don't, the bastards'll get  
on that bar. Then you have NO way out.'  
**  
'Isn't there an alternative? Another way?'  
  
**'Jake, you're standing on a one-cube island which is suspended by who-the-  
fuck knows, and somehow, in front of you, there is a hand-over-hand bar  
suspended also by air, nothings impossible.'**  
  
'You old fart.'  
  
**'Smartass. Now move.'**  
  
_Adrenaline as his only motivation, he grabs the bars. One hand in front of  
the other... The pain in his arms seems to be gone now. Maybe he got used to  
it. That can't be healthy.  
_  
**'Excellent, you made it. Now you see the monks crowding around the exit?'**  
  
'Yeah.'  
  
**'Blow them away.'**  
  
'They're purple monks, I can dodge them.'  
  
**'Their patrol is too systematic; they'll smell you before you get close to  
the exit.'**  
  
'I only have one bomb left, you know.'  
  
**'Then you'd better do this right, hadn't you, Jake?'**  
  
_He gets close, abit too close, just in case. Let them sense his presence  
first. This was his favorite part of the profession. He drops the bomb  
soundlessly. Three ticks...  
Tick.  
He heads for cover...  
Tick.  
They fall for it, ignoring the bomb at their feet, they chase him  
mindlessly.  
Tick.  
Click_  
  
**'Boom baby.'**  
  
'Hehehehehe, watch em vaporize.'  
  
**'I am. It's beautiful.'**  
  
'Isn't it?'  
  
**'Coast is as clear as it gets. Make a break for it. Exit's open.'**  
  
_He feels the stitch in his chest tighten. But now it doesn't matter, he  
just needs a little more...  
There's a slight 'whup' as he's sucked into the portal.  
  
Phew, boy, that was intense. The Operator leans back in his chair. He lets  
a sigh escape him, and smiles to see that he made the best time. He gets  
back up, grunting slightly. Takes the mouse and clicks "Next Level" _


End file.
